Construction for electric heaters



NOV. 17, 1953 G OLVING 2,659,798

CONSTRUCTION FOR ELECTRIC HEATERS Filed Sept. 3, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. BROR G. OLV/NG.

Nov. 17, 1953 Filed Sept. 3, 1949 B. G. OLVING CONSTRUCTION FOR ELECTRIC HEATERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 'BROR G. OLVING Patented Nov. 17, 1953 UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE Bror; (5. Qlving, Elgjn, Ill.,. assignor to McGraw. Electric Company, Elgin, 111., a corporation of Delaw re.

Applieatibn September 3, 1949; SeriarNo; 1 4,019

2. Glaims. l. The present invention relates. to. electric: hfiiitr ing" devices: and more: particularly to the. com. struction, support, and; insulation oi'r-axliantheat ing elementstor electric toasters. and the li=l;e.

The provision of a suitable insulating supporting structure for the conductors off an. electricheating: element. has always. presented. a. difficult problem and for many.- applications, such as:v electric toasters, thereisstill. no. completely sat-is factory: solution. Noone7 materiel possesses the izef ractoriness, the high electric resistivity; the, mechanical toughness; and; tlicversatility oi? form and fabrication that is desired in. such a construction. The few'materialsnow in: use are essentially compromises and are not always completely satisfactory. Some are expensive and many: are-suitable only in special forms. For example, porcelain is brittle, especially in thin sections. The best grades or natural mica are expensive, and both: bonded, mica and the more abundant grades of natural mica are likely to show Qbjecticnably high electric conductivity at high temperatures, as for example, immediately atter exposure to high humidity And; all, mica isfriabl'e andmechanically weak. While the conductivity offmi'ca may be too low. tointerfiere with the proper, operation of" the heating elementjitself; it may, permit suii'icient current leakagefrom thfi DQWer circuits to the metal frame ofjan electhe. appliance to constitute, a hazard to. persons whohandle or use such equipment,

An object, of" the present invention is, the provision; of an improved low-cost, low-leakag sturdy; electric, heating element.

Further objects include the, provision of an ims;

proved... Support for an electric heating element, the-provision of an improv d heater construc i n and the provision of an improved electric toaster. Other objects and advantages of the invention wi l, b apparent fr m; the fellowins, dcscrie of a specific:emhcdiment;therecfwhiehzillustratcs one manner in which the invention may be carried out. In the drawings:

Figure l is a pictorial view of a heating element assembly for an electric toaster embodying my present invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged views of certain details of the assembly of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a toaster oven which includes the structure of Fig. 1; it constitutes a partial section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 5; and,

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of a toaster which includes the oven of Fig. 4; it constitutes in part a section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4,

Theassembly'of Fig. 15 comprises: four cardrlilce heating elements t0; t2; t4: and Leach of: which includes: two. sheets. of insulating material:. ll! on which are wound. ribbon-like. metal. conductors. 2.0. in which, heat is. to. be. generated by" the. flew; ct electric current. While these; sheets may be formed of of a large; number oi materials]? prefer. bonded mica, since it. has; suflicient strength ior the: purpose; if: handled carefully; is: not. damaged by the redeheat temperatures at which the. conductors; 20; are operated. provides suificientliy: goodv electric, insulation; to permit. the proper operation of the heater itselfiandisilower in cost: than other: materials: having comparable Droperties 'llwd suchi sheets. lift. are-:iirst fastened to ether: by; a. metal. clip 2.4;. The; conductor 2 Di is wound: or strung on. the. two. sheets; which are. their. further: fastened; together by an insulating cleat. 2&- and. 8;:.-SBQX1.d metal; clip;- l8... 'Qhe. ends of: the conductor 211 are thneadcd throu h holes at the-lower edges. of; the; sheets. and clamped: by riveted; metali. rommets. 29; (see Fist. .3.1.

The; two. outer elements; I0: and; 1 of thefourelement assembly or Fig; 1 have; special insulate ins sunn rtinastrinsa or: tabs; 40 also; held by the rommets 3. and. extending b low; the. lower edges; oi the; elements, These: supports; 40: are made. of. an, insulating; materialwhich provides thesuperior insulation against; electric; leakage that bondedimica sheets. L8;- may'lackand; which alsois able. to; withstand. high. temperatures, and mechanical, stress;v I= prefer-sheet, material made p: of: laminations i. fiber la s p e nated. with silicone; resin... Lhaveicund hat. such material s; far sup rior: to mica. and: other hi hs-tempera: tureresistant. materials; in both:- mechanical strength and, electric; resistivity. Although: it would; not. survive: as; high a temperature as will mica. it. isk-ept, cooler: than; the; mica in the: pres.- ent construction because most. of. the, heat. is; car.- ried; up by; the drafiti through. the; toaster. And fnr-thenmore only; the.- resin. and not the.- lass. would decompose at temperatures that themica will withstand, and such decomposition would produce only a reduction in mechanical strength, for the electric resistivity would remain high.

These insulators 40, when made of fiberglass laminate, are sufficiently strong that those attached to the two outermost heating elements l0 and It can support the weight of the whole assembly, thereby reducing the cost. The four heating elements Ill, I2, l4 and I6 are fastened together by beam-like metal brackets 34 and spacers 36 which are held by terminal bolts 30 which pass through the grommets 29, and there- 3 fore constitute electric connectors as well as mechanical fastenings.

As may be seen best in Figs. 4 and 5, the downwardly extending tongues 42 of the insulators 40 set in slots 44 (see also Figs. 2 and 3) in the metal base plate 46 of the toaster oven. The oven structure includes also end walls 48 and a slotted top plate 52, and is enclosed by a case 51. Slices of bread 53 are adapted to be inserted in the oven through the slots in the top plate and casing to rest on racks 54 which are movable vertically, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, by mechanism not shown. Wire guards 56 support the bread slices laterally and center them between the heating elements.

Because heat rises, the top portions of the heating elements operate at a somewhat higher temperature than do the bottom portions and therefore the upper edges of the four heating elements [0, I2, l4 and I6 carry porcelain insulators 60. The clips 24 at the tops of the heating elements include upwardly-extending metalshouldered projections 62. The tubular porcelain insulators 60 rest on these projections and lie in apertures in the oven top piece 52, and are retained by the case 51. They provide lateral support for the heating elements during operation and of course carry-the weight of the heating elements when the toaster is inverted. Certain constructions here shown and described are claimed in the co-pending application of D. A. Gustafson, Ser. No. 113,950, filed September 3, 1949, now Patent 2,620,426.

The present invention provides a construction wherein a high-temperature insulator, which is not proof against leakage, i combined with a high resistance insulator that provides reliable protection against such leakage, although it, by itself, could not withstand the high temperatures. Furthermore it provides a construction in which the best use is made of the desirable properties of each material, and the use of the more expensive material is kept to a minimum. For electric toasters operating at 115 volts A. C., a leakage current of .2 of a milliampere from the power circuits to the case is now considered the maximum amount permissible. It has been found that some samples of the cheaper forms of mica, such as bonded mica sheets, may under certain extreme conditions permit leakages far in excess of this value. I have found that the construction of the present invention insures low leakage, well under .2 milliampere, even under conditions of extreme abuse. I have found that the present construction is mechanically rugged. It is to be noted, for

example in Fig. 1, that the bridging structure consisting of the brackets 34 and spacer 36 does not impose any bending or tensile forces on the mica sheets IB, and so constitutes a strong support for the heating elements.

The invention includes all such modifications and variations as fall within the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an electric heating construction, in combination a supporting frame, an insulating sheet of bonded mica which may becom electrically conducting at operating temperatures, a resistance conductor wound on said sheet, a high temperature insulating member comprising a laminate of fiberglass fabric fastened to said sheet and extending beyond the margin thereof for engaging said frame and for supporting said sheet on said frame but out of contact with said frame, said member having an electric resistivity at said operating temperatures that is very high compared to that of the material of said sheet.

2. In an electrically heated appliance, the combination with a case-and-frame structure having an exposed, electric-conducting surface, an electrict heating element comprising an insulating sheet of mica or the like which may become electrically conducting at operating temperatures and a resistance heating conductor Wound on said sheet; of heat-resisting, electric-insulating tabs separate from but fastened to said sheet near an edge thereof and extending beyond the margin thereof for directly engaging said case-and-frame structure and for supporting said sheet thereon out of contact therewith and for providing a high insulation against electric leakage from said conductor to said exposed conducting surface particularly during heated operation of the appliance, said tabs being formed of a laminated insulating material different from the material of said sheet and impregnated with silicone resin and having an electric resistivity at said operating temperatures that is very high compared to that of the material of said sheet.

BROR G. OLVING.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,108,554 Copeman Aug. 25, 1914 1,466,656 Barr et a1 Sept. 4, 1923 1,753,601 Eaton Apr. 8, 1930 1,841,301 Schroeder et al. Jan. 12, 1932 1,900,249 Miller et a1 Mar. 7, 1933 1,916,066 Moyle June 27, 1933 2,049,717 Pavelka Aug. 4, 1936 2,133,183 Baird et a1 Oct. 11, 1938 2,141,867 Ireland Dec. 27, 1938 2,197,221 Koci Apr. 16, 1940 2,419,355 Koci Apr. 22, 1947 2,620,426 Gustafson Dec. 2, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 614,587 Great Britain Dec. 17, 1948 OTHER REFERENCES Knowlton: Standard Handbook for Electrical Engineers; 7th ed.; McGraw-Hill Book Co. 

